Old PC gaming stuff

[Ed Rotondaro]

Hi all:

My wife and I are in the process of cleaning out the spare room where our first PC resides. It's totally obsolete, but I have a practically unused Sidewinder Por joystick. My question is should I bother to hang onto this? Are there any games that need or use this piece of equipment anymore? Thanks.

[old_pop2000]

Hi all:

My wife and I are in the process of cleaning out the spare room where our first PC resides. It's totally obsolete, but I have a practically unused Sidewinder Por joystick. My question is should I bother to hang onto this? Are there any games that need or use this piece of equipment anymore? Thanks.

flight sims still use joysticks. You might want to keep it for a while, and then check and see if you have used it in the last six months. If not, then you probably won't need it. I use the six months or one year perameter to decide how long to keep something.

[Mike Malanaphy]

Hi all:

My wife and I are in the process of cleaning out the spare room where our first PC resides. It's totally obsolete, but I have a practically unused Sidewinder Por joystick. My question is should I bother to hang onto this? Are there any games that need or use this piece of equipment anymore? Thanks.


Hi Ed,

Depends on if your going to use some older games that will support it. I keep an older computer to play some of my older games on like Action Stations, X Wing, and some others. I had a Sidewinder force beed back stick that worked really well, but Microsoft doesn't support it. I have a Strategic Commnader and a Nostromo speed pad that isn't supported by Vista I still enjoy using, so the old computer is a life saver sometimes.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Hi Ed,

Depends on if your going to use some older games that will support it. I keep an older computer to play some of my older games on like Action Stations, X Wing, and some others. I had a Sidewinder force beed back stick that worked really well, but Microsoft doesn't support it. I have a Strategic Commnader and a Nostromo speed pad that isn't supported by Vista I still enjoy using, so the old computer is a life saver sometimes.


Mike and Dennis:

Thanks for the advice. Now I've got to clean out the old PC and dispose of it in an enviromentally friendly way.

[john964]

Mike and Dennis:

Thanks for the advice. Now I've got to clean out the old PC and dispose of it in an enviromentally friendly way.Call the local computer store they will somtimes have phone numbers of companies that are disposing E-waste or take it themselves for a fee or for free, you may also want to call your local solid waste disposal agency they may have have a place to take it or can provide you with phone numbers with contractors who are doing it.

[Mart]

Now I've got to clean out the old PC and dispose of it in an enviromentally friendly way.

Hi Ed.

You'll probably find that you can give it to a charity. There are some specialised ones that recycle them for the developing world.

Alternatively, some smaller charities and community groups are often in need of a computer for their own use, and would be pleased even to receive what most people would consider an obsolete one.

If you do that, don't forget to forensically clean your hard drive, with something like Darik's Boot disk. You can always then re-install the operating system, and any useful programs, before handing it over.

Hope that helps.

Martin :)

[Ed Rotondaro]

Call the local computer store they will somtimes have phone numbers of companies that are disposing E-waste or take it themselves for a fee or for free, you may also want to call your local solid waste disposal agency they may have have a place to take it or can provide you with phone numbers with contractors who are doing it.

John:

I want to make sure the hard drive is wiped before I dispose of it. Any ideas short of a low level format?

[Ed Rotondaro]

Hi Ed.

You'll probably find that you can give it to a charity. There are some specialised ones that recycle them for the developing world.

Alternatively, some smaller charities and community groups are often in need of a computer for their own use, and would be pleased even to receive what most people would consider an obsolete one.

If you do that, don't forget to forensically clean your hard drive, with something like Darik's Boot disk. You can always then re-install the operating system, and any useful programs, before handing it over.

Hope that helps.

Martin :)

Martin:

Thanks for the recommendations and a most Happy New Year to you and yours.

[Scott Chisholm]

John:

I want to make sure the hard drive is wiped before I dispose of it. Any ideas short of a low level format?

Ed,

Short of physically destroying the hard drive the only way to wipe it is with repetitive low level formats.

There are any number of hard disk scrubbing freeware on the net. I'm trying to remember the one I used satisfactorily, but am coming up blank. I seem to remember "nuke" in it's name. It performed three separate low-level formats using different algorithms. It worked really well for me. I'll look for the disk I made of it tonight when I get home.

[Mart]

There is a free program called "Eraser". When you installit under windows, it allows you to create a Boot Disk, which is called Darik's Boot Disc. You can do it to floppy or to CD.I think that the algorithm for this disk is EXTREMELY robust. Here are the details from the Eraser Help file:

"As of version 5.6 Eraser now includes Darik's 'Boot and Nuke'

Description:
Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN") is a self-contained boot floppy/CD that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.

Use the program to create a Boot Floppy or CD. Then boot up your PC with the floppy/CD
Result: All drives will now be erased.

IMPORTANT: USE WITH EXTREME CAUTION"

You can get eraser at www.heidi.ie/eraser/

It's a respectable, tried and tested program. DBAN is not quite as secure an algorithm as Eraser itself (which runs under Windows and is now at Version 5.84), but as Eraser runs about 50 passes in all sorts of weird ways, under Windows, the No-Windows DBAN boot disk is, I think, a pretty close second to something that's near perfect, and it's about the only safe solution short of smashing your drive to bits. The process is reasonably quick, and you can of course run it a few times if you're feeling really paranoid - sorry - think I must have been talking about myself there. :rolleyes:

Hope that helps. But DO be careful

Cheers

Martin :)

[Ed Rotondaro]

Ed,

Short of physically destroying the hard drive the only way to wipe it is with repetitive low level formats.

There are any number of hard disk scrubbing freeware on the net. I'm trying to remember the one I used satisfactorily, but am coming up blank. I seem to remember "nuke" in it's name. It performed three separate low-level formats using different algorithms. It worked really well for me. I'll look for the disk I made of it tonight when I get home.

Scott:

That's what one of my IT guys explained to me, a simple format may appear to wipe the data, but a skilled hacker can restore most of it. I don't really have anything sensitive on the older PC, but why take chances. Also it would be nice to donate it to a charity since it still runs fine and has an old style 17" monster CRT (thank god for flat panel displays). Happy New Year to you and the family.

[Ed Rotondaro]

There is a free program called "Eraser". When you installit under windows, it allows you to create a Boot Disk, which is called Darik's Boot Disc. You can do it to floppy or to CD.I think that the algorithm for this disk is EXTREMELY robust. Here are the details from the Eraser Help file:

"As of version 5.6 Eraser now includes Darik's 'Boot and Nuke'

Description:
Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN") is a self-contained boot floppy/CD that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.

Use the program to create a Boot Floppy or CD. Then boot up your PC with the floppy/CD
Result: All drives will now be erased.

IMPORTANT: USE WITH EXTREME CAUTION"

You can get eraser at www.heidi.ie/eraser/

It's a respectable, tried and tested program. DBAN is not quite as secure an algorithm as Eraser itself (which runs under Windows and is now at Version 5.84), but as Eraser runs about 50 passes in all sorts of weird ways, under Windows, the No-Windows DBAN boot disk is, I think, a pretty close second to something that's near perfect, and it's about the only safe solution short of smashing your drive to bits. The process is reasonably quick, and you can of course run it a few times if you're feeling really paranoid - sorry - think I must have been talking about myself there. :rolleyes:

Hope that helps. But DO be careful

Cheers

Martin :)

Thanks Martin. I never thought I would deliberately want to trash my hard drive, but sometimes you have to. Those darn Dell PCs seem to run forever (he says hoping his newer doesn't crash and burn).

[Fleet Command CC]

John:

I want to make sure the hard drive is wiped before I dispose of it. Any ideas short of a low level format?

Hey Ed Rotondaro

Happy New Year to you, if you used your old computer with banking info, I would buy a HDD wiper. The free ones are very good but a bought one is always going to be better, I would highly recommend DriveScrubber3, I bought this software and use it on a HDD and then try many different type of data recovery software and they found no data.

Here is the link

http://www.iolo.com/ds/3/

[Scott Chisholm]

...Darik's Boot and Nuke ("DBAN")...

THAT'S IT!!

DBAN. That worked really well for me. :D

[Mart]

THAT'S IT!!

DBAN. That worked really well for me. :D

It appears that I DO have my uses, after all. :(

I'm afraid I don't know much about Drive Scrubber. On its website it seems to be claiming that it can entirely wipe your drive, from within Windows, without the need for a No-Windows Boot Disk. Sadly, this is not correct. A secure full-disk erase cannot be performed from within windows.

Hoped that was some help

Martin :)

[Ed Rotondaro]

Hey Ed Rotondaro

Happy New Year to you, if you used your old computer with banking info, I would buy a HDD wiper. The free ones are very good but a bought one is always going to be better, I would highly recommend DriveScrubber3, I bought this software and use it on a HDD and then try many different type of data recovery software and they found no data.

Here is the link

http://www.iolo.com/ds/3/

Hi Fleet:

Thanks. I don't we ever did any financial stuff with the old PC outside of buying things on-line. I was at the time using a dial up modem (AOL) so I usually didn't hang on line too long to avoid missing any phone calls. But I was advised to make sure that I didn't give out a PC with a hard drive with any info on it so I'm being cautious. Happy New Year to you as well. Any recommendations for notebook/laptop PCs? I would like one that I can play games on, edit photos on and download MP3 music on. Thanks.

[Ed Rotondaro]

It appears that I DO have my uses, after all. :(

I'm afraid I don't know much about Drive Scrubber. On its website it seems to be claiming that it can entirely wipe your drive, from within Windows, without the need for a No-Windows Boot Disk. Sadly, this is not correct. A secure full-disk erase cannot be performed from within windows.

Hoped that was some help

Martin :)

Well done old boy! Jolly good show.:D

[Mart]

Well done old boy! Jolly good show.:D

Yeah - and Pip! Pip! Hoorah! :D

[Fleet Command CC]

Hi Fleet:

Thanks. I don't we ever did any financial stuff with the old PC outside of buying things on-line. I was at the time using a dial up modem (AOL) so I usually didn't hang on line too long to avoid missing any phone calls. But I was advised to make sure that I didn't give out a PC with a hard drive with any info on it so I'm being cautious. Happy New Year to you as well. Any recommendations for notebook/laptop PCs? I would like one that I can play games on, edit photos on and download MP3 music on. Thanks.

Hey Ed Rotondaro

Yep I'm a bit paranoid myself, I've sold a few of my old computers and I always use the DriveScrubber before selling the PC's.

In answer to your question, it depends on how much you want to spend on the laptop and what games you would like to play on it. :) A good gaming laptop is going to be about £1000, you would get a great gaming desktop for the same amount of money.

Here are few high gaming laptop specs

15.4-inch Widescreen LCD
2.8GHz Intel® Core™2 Extreme X9000
512MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 9800M GT
4GB DDR2 Memory & 1GB Turbo RAM
320GB 7,200 RPM Hard Drive
2x Blu-ray™ Burner

Price from: £2,899

15.4-inch Widescreen LCD
Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme – 2.8Ghz
NVIDIA® GeForce® 9800M GT
Up to 4GB of 667MHz DDR2 Memory
Up to 1TB HD Space with Smart Bay Extreme HD Video and Audio

Price from: £999

The above laptops are from this site http://www.alienware.co.uk/main.aspx :cool: If it was me spending the money I would go for this one below, but has you would probably guess I would change the configuration to Max. :cool:

http://www.alienware.co.uk/product_detail_pages/M17/m17_overview.aspx?SysCode=PC-EU-LT-M17&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT

Here is the Nvida SLI Notebook PC Gaming site. :cool:

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_buyprebuilt_nb_us2.html

Here are some good Dell XPS gaming laptops.

http://www.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/xpsnb?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&~ck=bt#subcats=&navla=&a=51800~0~812564,51795~0~812537,52538~0~821509

Here a reviewing site on gaming laptops.

http://www.bizwaremagic.com/best_gaming_notebooks.htm

But whatever laptop buy make sure it comes with the XP downgrade disc, because alot of company are now offering this with there laptop.

[Fleet Command CC]

It appears that I DO have my uses, after all. :(

I'm afraid I don't know much about Drive Scrubber. On its website it seems to be claiming that it can entirely wipe your drive, from within Windows, without the need for a No-Windows Boot Disk. Sadly, this is not correct. A secure full-disk erase cannot be performed from within windows.

Hoped that was some help

Martin :)

Yep that's right if you would like to totality wipe the C: Drive, but it work fine if you would like to delete everything other than the OS or wiping another internal/external HDD that work great in windows.

I think they could do with making that a bit more clear, has Martin as pointed this misleading part out, niceone man I forget too point out things like that. :)

[Mart]

Yep that's right if you would like to totality wipe the C: Drive, but it work fine if you would like to delete everything other than the OS or wiping another internal/external HDD that work great in windows.

I think they could do with making that a bit more clear, has Martin as pointed this misleading part out, niceone man I forget too point out things like that. :)

The other problem is that it's not enough to wipe out everything except the operating system. First, you would have to uninstall every single program, and remove all data, leaving you with a drive with nothing but the operating system. But even then, because operating system files are themselves sometimes moved around the hard-drive, even "under" operating system files, there could still be retrievable data below those files. All this comes down to how sensitive your data might be, and how seriously snoopy the recipient is. Probably, it's not an issue. That said, there is a school of thought that says that even completely forensically wiping the pagefile/swapfile is simply impossible within the operating system environment.

I think, when all is said and done, there are only two really safe methods. One is to use a DBAN boot disk, to erase from outside the operating system. The other, even more secure system, is to connect the drive in question to another drive which contains an operating sytem, and the erasing program (such as Eraser). Seems to me to be a bit of a fuss, but some people do use their new computer to wipe the drive of their old computer, before giving away their old computer. It's the safest option, but a bit of a palaver.

If someone has to go to those lengths, maybe they ought to consider what sort of browsing and data storage they're doing :D

Sorry for the pedantry. I'm so useless at wargames that this is the only time I get to say anything even vaguely useful! :eek:

Martin :)

[Fleet Command CC]

Sorry for the pedantry. I'm so useless at wargames that this is the only time I get to say anything even vaguely useful!

Hey Martin

Your not being pedantry a tall, ( I had to look up this word because I didn't know what it ment ) there isn't anything wrong with following the correct rules and procedures and practices. I'm the same myself, if you are going to do a job do it right. :cool:

I do agree that the boot disk, is the best way to wipe a HDD security, that is the way I have always done it, before selling a PC. My only moan is went you have got a big HDD 500 GB+ a deep 35 times format can take 24 hours. :(

The only way to get better at wargames is to play them more on the A.I. hardest setting. :)

FCCC. :D